Canon your personal critical-acclaim atlas
← back to classical

Scarlatti

Domenico Scarlatti
Dates
1685–1757
Era
Baroque (1600–1750)
Recognition
essential
Wikipedia

Where to start with Scarlatti

Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles
  1. Keyboard
    Sonata in A major, K.322, L.483
  2. Chamber
    Allegro assai
  3. Vocal
    Antra, valles, divo plaudeant, motet for 5 voices, violin, viola and continuo
  4. Stage
    La Dirindina — Opera
  5. Keyboard
    Sonata in A major, K.456, L.491
  6. Keyboard
    Sonata in A minor, K.54, L.241
  7. Keyboard
    Sonata in B flat major, K.248, L.S35
  8. Keyboard
    Sonata in C minor, K.56, L.356
  9. Keyboard
    Sonata in C minor, K.58, L.158
  10. Keyboard
    Sonata in D major, K.33, L.424
  11. Keyboard
    Sonata in D minor, K.18, L.416
  12. Keyboard
    Sonata in G minor, K.30, L.499
  13. Keyboard
    Sonata in G minor, K.450, L.338, "Burlesca"
  14. Vocal
    Che vidi, o ciel, chamber cantata for soprano, 2 violins and continuo
  15. Vocal
    Chi vuole innamorarsi, for tenor and piano

Listening guide

Hand-curated paths into Scarlatti's catalogue
  1. Keyboard Sonata in D minor K141
  2. Keyboard Sonata in E major K380
  3. Keyboard Sonata in F minor K466
  4. Keyboard Sonata in G major K13
  5. Keyboard Sonata in D major K96

Most Acclaimed

  1. 555 Keyboard Sonatas (selections: K27, K119, K208, K517)
  2. Sonata in B minor K87
  3. Sonata in F minor K184
  4. Sonata in D minor K213
  5. Sonata in G major K2

Most Weird

  1. Sonata K141 in D minor
    hand crossings, rapid repeated notes — the most physically demanding sonata in the set
  2. Sonata K119 in D major
    whirling motivic repetition — almost minimalist before minimalism
  3. Sonata K87 in B minor
    deeply melancholic — one of his most serious
  4. Sonata K518 in F major
    Spanish rhythms and hand crossings — the most ”ethnic”
  5. Sonata K30 in G minor ”Cat\’s Fugue”
    the subject was supposedly written by his cat walking on the keyboard

Similar composers

Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinity

Works 588